War Child maintains support for children amid coronavirus pandemic
March 19, 2020
The coronavirus pandemic continues to expand - and War Child is adapting its activities to support children and communities affected by the pandemic. We are working in partnership with both local and international NGOs to uphold the social and emotional wellbeing of children and communities wherever we are present.
Rapid response
We are taking every action within our abilities to contribute to the wellbeing of children who take part in our activities. Awareness-raising sessions are already taking place - to provide reliable information to protect against infection and uphold the social and emotional wellbeing of children and their families. Sessions are currently active in Lebanon and across three communities in South Sudan.
The social and economic consequences of the current pandemic are particularly acute in regions already struggling with the effects of violence and armed conflict.
War Child will work with new and existing partners to protect resources under significant threat - including food and sanitation. In South Sudan we are already working with local partners to protect and extend vital sanitation resources.
Psychosocial support
In the coming weeks we will explore safe and creative ways to provide vital psychosocial support to children and families in isolation. Quarantine can create additional stresses for people living with the effects of armed conflict. We will develop programmes to address these stresses - and share them with our network of partner organisations.
Individual counselling for vulnerable children is already being provided across our countries of operation. TeamUp - our coalition programme with Save the Children, UNICEF Netherlands and other organisations - is developing a remote programme of structured sports and movement activities to uphold the social and emotional wellbeing of refugee children in asylum reception centres.
No child left behind
“We are working with everyone in our network to ensure children have access to basic needs and vital psychosocial support,” says War Child Holland managing director Tjipke Bergsma. “Last week we took the decision to suspend group activities with children to protect the health of everyone who comes into contact with our organisation.”
